The present invention generally relates to refrigerators. More particularly, the present invention relates to a refrigerator door assembly and a method of making same. In one particular form, the present invention relates to a cap portion of a door assembly that upwardly extends from a main body portion to conceal and protect controls mounted to an upper surface of a cabinet when the door assembly is articulated to a closed position.
Vehicles including but not limited to recreational vehicles (xe2x80x9cRVsxe2x80x9d in the United States and xe2x80x9cCaravansxe2x80x9d in Europe), tractor trailers, airplanes, boats, trains, and the like often incorporate refrigerators for the comfort and convenience of the occupants. Space available for refrigerators on such vehicles is limited and a significant design emphasis has been placed upon maximizing refrigerator storage volume. In a manner well known in the art, refrigerator controls typically upwardly extend from the cabinet so as not to limit storage volume.
While such conventional arrangements that include controls upwardly extending from a cabinet have proven to be optimal for various applications, they are all associated with limitations. For example, controls that visibly extend above a door of the refrigerator often present an undesirable appearance when the door is closed. In addition, the lighted elements of conventional refrigerator controls are the source of complaints from some vehicle operators when incorporated into a sleeping environment such as that of an RV or the like. Furthermore, controls that upwardly extend from a refrigerator cabinet are subject to inadvertent operation.
Accordingly, it remains a need in the pertinent art to provide a refrigerator door assembly that overcomes the limitations associated with the prior known arrangements, including but not limited to those disadvantages discussed above.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a door assembly for a refrigerator which includes an upper cap portion for concealing a plurality of control elements that upwardly extend from a cabinet when the door assembly is articulated to a closed position.
In one particular form, the present invention provides a door assembly for a refrigerator. The door assembly selectively closes an opening of a cabinet. The cabinet has a cabinet height and a cabinet width. The door assembly includes a main body portion and a cap portion. The main body portion has a door height and a door width generally corresponding in size to the cabinet height and the cabinet width, respectively. The cap portion is secured to and upwardly extends from the main body portion. The cap portion is configured to substantially cover a plurality of control elements upwardly extending from the cabinet when the door assembly is articulated to a closed position.
In another form, the present invention provides a method of making a refrigerator. The method includes the general steps of:
providing a cabinet having a opening, a cabinet height and a cabinet width;
securing a plurality of control elements to the cabinet such that the plurality of control elements upwardly extend from the cabinet;
pivotally securing a main body portion of a door assembly to the cabinet, the main body portion having a door height and a door width generally corresponding in size to the cabinet height and cabinet width, respectively;
forming a cap portion of the door assembly; and
securing the cap portion to the main body portion such that the cap portion substantially conceals the plurality of control elements when the main body portion is articulated to a closed position.
In yet another particular form, the present invention provides a refrigerator including a cabinet, a plurality of refrigerator controls and a door assembly. The cabinet defines a door opening and includes a cabinet height and a cabinet width. The refrigerator controls are mounted to and extend upwardly from the cabinet. The door assembly is pivotally attached to the cabinet for selectively opening and closing the door opening. The door assembly includes a main body portion and a cap portion. The main body portion has a door height and a door width generally corresponding in size to the cabinet height and the cabinet width, respectively. The cap portion is secured to and upwardly extends from the main body portion. The cap portion is configured to substantially cover the plurality of control elements when the door assembly is articulated to the closed position.
Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.